"American Idol" is the place where dreams come true, and one high school senior from Mississippi is on her way to realizing those dreams with a golden ticket to Hollywood. The singer named Jennifer Jeffries shared in a pre-audition interview that she never expected to be chosen for this season of "Idol." She also shared a bit about her family, including the fact that she's the youngest of nine children. Her mother mentioned in the pre-audition package that Jeffries has been writing songs since she was 9-years-old.
"The songs I write, they're about personal things," Jeffries said of her original music. "Things I've been through, just things that I've witnessed. I write them so people can connect with them and know they're not alone. A lot happens in your life — a lot of pain, but a lot of joy."
With that introduction, Jeffries took the "Idol" audition stage to sing an original song called "Change My Ways." She launched into the tune playing acoustic guitar and showcasing a uniquely distinct voice. In the original song, Jeffries sings about her faith, mentioning a Bible with no "highlights or creases" and "still crisp" pages. She sang a large portion of the song, allowing the message to truly sink in, the judges looked pleased as she sang.
At the end of the song, judge Luke Bryan broke the silence by saying, "I was not expecting that."
"I am sitting here thinking the same thing," said Lionel Richie.
Bryan then asked Katy Perry for her thoughts on Jeffries' "amazingly unique voice that I don't think we've ever heard here."
Lucky for Jeffries, the judges' shock and surprise was a good thing.
"There's this unique grit," Perry said. "It's so Mississippi."
Bryan then called her sound an "indie film soundtrack voice." Perry followed up by calling Jeffries' voice "raw." Richie added that he's in love with the singer's uniqueness. Perry added that Jeffries seems to be "named for stardom," and she gave her a "yes" vote for sending her to Hollywood. Richie and Bryan followed with two more stamps of approval, and the teenager received the golden ticket.
"American Idol" airs on Sunday nights on ABC.
